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That Windsor feeling! My journey with the Windsor from Above The Tie.

Though @Sausage and @never-stop-learning , regarding the "noticeable difference in efficiency" I want to note regarding my above stated "Yes ..." that I haven't tried myself. (Must do some time.) I concluded this from @J.Atique s post I had linked above and from the logic. However, higher blade exposure alone must not make out for more efficiency, but definitely for a different blade feel and sing.
Please also read this great review from @nav , especially his conclusion: #1
 
Sevond shave with the Windsor Pro sb90. I got good results. It feels smooth and there is quite a bit blade feel. Neck feels a bit raw after three passes. This may be a bit too much for 3 daily passes for me.

That was my impression already after 1st shave.. that’s why I ordered Windsor CR1 plate from the returns sales.
 
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Sevond shave with the Windsor Pro sb90. I got good results. It feels smooth and there is quite a bit blade feel. Neck feels a bit raw after three passes. This may be a bit too much for 3 daily passes for me.

That was my impression already after 1st shave.. that’s why I ordered Windsor CR1 plate from the returns sales.

I don't have the Pro, but I do have the CR1 Windsor plate and really enjoy it. Nice and smooth, yet efficient. Hope you like it as well. It also looks cool... ;)
 
Third shave with the Pro. This time I tried something that I read often about here on forum…ride the cap. The shave was very nice..no irritation on neck!

D31E6112-F4F9-41B8-853B-CFEC3863DC8E.jpeg
 
Vincent - hey! I haven't forgotten about you. I wanted to mull over your question & make sure I give you a comprehensive answer. First things first - the H2 & SSH1 have the same blade gap, so in terms of efficiency, they should be about the same. The primary difference is the blade *feel,* and the fact that the open comb allows for shaving a longer beard with less clogging than the rinse ports on the SSH1 might allow. I'd say if you like the blade feel of the R2, stick with the open comb. The SSH1 has a smoother shave with less chatter and blade feel than the Classic open combs. Still very efficient, as the guys can confirm. But if blade feel is your jam, the Windsor has less of that. (Fun fact: Windsor open combs are coming! They're up next, after we get the new intermediate Windsor base plates up & running.)

If you find that you're having to exercise more care in your shave due to the aggressiveness of the R2, then the milder M2 might be the right fit.

However, if you're looking for a more efficient shave with fewer passes, I'd go with the H2. The type of soap or cream you're using could come into play here, as well.

What is your ultimate end goal? (Of course, you could get the best of all the shaving worlds with the full Classic Open Comb collection, but if you don't want to spring for both the M2 and H2, then determining your primary goal for your shaves, combined with what you already have, would be the best way to arrive at the best fit for you.) I hope this helps! If you have further questions, feel free to hit me up via email through the website.

-Manda

Hi @Above The Tie-Manda,
I cannot appreciate you enough for offering me some competent advice
and apologize for such a late reply because Taiwan is suffering Covid-19 at this time.
I ordered returned M2 and H2 finally.
Last night,I shaved with Windsor SSH1 coupled with a Razorock aluminum handle.
I am surprised to find that it seems hard for a light weight handle to drive a heavy head,
and results in severe harshness consequently.
Have any gents had similar experiences?
I am quite shocked about this.
I decided to switch back an Atlas handle in 3rd pass, and harshness disappeared fortunately.

In my limited experiences,
combining a light head (aluminum cap+base plate, no matte DE or SE) with a heavy handle (Atlas or Kronos) does not let me down.

Would you mind letting me know the release date of Windsor OC and where are Windsor OC produced?
China or USA?
to be honest, I am a bit addicted to USA made ATT and this is why I pulled the trigger on M2 and H2 finally.

Thanks a bunch and hope everyone has a good weekend.
 
My fourth shave with Windsor Pro this morning. I am starting to think my first impressions about this razor being a bit too much for me daily was wrong. Today’s shave was really really good. Smooth, close and no irritation at all. I am amazed. I am very pleased I bought this razor 😊. I used RR Super Knurl handle and it was good.

Well done ATT. I will be looking at your updated Windsor line when they become available 👍.

63025326-9296-4CA8-BE88-04C68C30364E.jpeg
 
My fourth shave with Windsor Pro this morning. I am starting to think my first impressions about this razor being a bit too much for me daily was wrong. Today’s shave was really really good. Smooth, close and no irritation at all. I am amazed. I am very pleased I bought this razor 😊. I used RR Super Knurl handle and it was good.

Well done ATT. I will be looking at your updated Windsor line when they become available 👍.
...

@Sausage , thank you so much for your great contributions - the lovely pictures and the detailed reports! And most of all, I'm glad you appreciate shaving with the Windsor Pro! 🌞

You inspired me to pick my Pro today:

210607_14359-Above-The-Tie-Windsor-Pro_Simpson-Chubby2-ST-BU_f.jpg
 
Hi @Above The Tie-Manda,
I cannot appreciate you enough for offering me some competent advice
and apologize for such a late reply because Taiwan is suffering Covid-19 at this time.
I ordered returned M2 and H2 finally.
Last night,I shaved with Windsor SSH1 coupled with a Razorock aluminum handle.
I am surprised to find that it seems hard for a light weight handle to drive a heavy head,
and results in severe harshness consequently.
Have any gents had similar experiences?
I am quite shocked about this.
I decided to switch back an Atlas handle in 3rd pass, and harshness disappeared fortunately.

In my limited experiences,
combining a light head (aluminum cap+base plate, no matte DE or SE) with a heavy handle (Atlas or Kronos) does not let me down.

Would you mind letting me know the release date of Windsor OC and where are Windsor OC produced?
China or USA?
to be honest, I am a bit addicted to USA made ATT and this is why I pulled the trigger on M2 and H2 finally.

Thanks a bunch and hope everyone has a good weekend.

The Windsor OCs are in the very initial planning stages, but they will be manufactured in the US.

If we decide to do OC for the Windsor Pro -- well, that's far enough out, I probably shouldn't speculate. There are a lot of factors involved, not the least of which are rising manufacturing and material costs. Shew. It is a wild time in the world right now.

But enough people have asked, so Windsor OCs are definitely on the drawing board. :) Keep an eye out on our social media or sign up for our emails. I promise we'll send out a notification when we bring those online.

- Manda
 
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@Beefdrippings & @jackgoldman123 :
Thank you so much! 🍻:)

---

Second shave, February 2:

First visit to Windsor level H today.

Yesterdays shave with the M-plate was really in-depth, though mild, I made effectively 5 passes as reported. So I did let pass a whole day and waited some more hours to get an idea of the closeness of the shave and how my skin feels later on.

Once again I inserted a new Feather blade and went for 3 passes as usual. This time there was no uncertainty about the right angle any more. Two strokes and I was there, the rest was adaption and building muscle memory as you do.

My first and preliminary conclusion: Just Wow!
The closeness felt on par to the level of the R41, but more tender. And it takes quite a lot ot make me write these words, because the R41 & me ... we are a true match. The R41 is like my eleventh finger and feels so easy and natural on my skin. Every day. And most of the times with three passes.

The sound feedback with the Windsor is quite rich. It doesn't sing like as high as the R41 or the Futur, but it gives a nice hum. And the way I can lead the blade on my skin is extremely defined and rigid , no irritation. Super! Surely the wide cap, which covers the blade complety introduces additional stability.
Btw, I like that the cap covers the edges of the blade. Not that I ever had problems with the edges exposed, but with the usual razor heads I'm always 'aware' when I reach the borders to my lips. With the Windsor I almost instantly experienced some kind of unsuspicious easy feeling when nearing those danger zones.

So that was my first shave with the H-plate (Windsor SSH1) and I will stay on Level H for the next days to get a deeper understanding, how this will work for me.

To celebrate my new Windsor and in anticipation of a great shave to come, I opened my splash bottle of Kouros from 1992 and here's the pic of the set-up:

View attachment 1229397
Now @TexOkie Shaver and I have another Kouros-brother! 😊

Pls tell me you like Feather blades, too!
 
My pictures aren't even close to mr drydown's, but here is what I used today for a mighty fine shave.

And it makes me happy that you are sharing them! Content matters most, thank you so much! 🌞

We need more pictures here of this great razor.

Yeah! 😎

... but here is what I used today for a mighty fine shave.

View attachment 1280732

Apropos content: A new experience to me were the soaps from Saponificio Varesino I had recently aquired. I went for the Opuntia and Manna di Sicilia.
I exclusively use hard soaps and my small inventory has choices so great that I never went the artisan route. However, curiosity got me at last.

And I'm so amazed, using these SVs was a revelation! These soaps are the only ones that can compete with my reference, which is Mitchells Wool Fat. They offer a similar stellar glide and residual slickness and also the post shave feel is so smooth. My skin loves totally loves them.
If I had to start all over again with soaps, I would make it MWF & SV only.

And btw, for those looking for a 'bowl' to use and store their SV pucks, that is similar to those they use, but not available any more, I found a perfect match: Saponificio Varesino puck meets Nivea tin


From a pure eye-candy perspective, it’s hard to beat ATT’s Atlas handle, but the Windsor/Super-Knurl pairings shared by @gdawg55 and @Sausage are stunning. Excellent photo skills, gents!

Yeah, indeed! They add a bit of tool-touch while showcasing elegance. Very nice! 👌

These pictures are amazing as are the descriptions of the shaves... Making it harder and harder to resist the ATT Windsor that I've been eyeing.

Thank you for dropping by! And please be back when you have given in. There will be pictures to support you in the meantime. ;)
 
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